Cherry, KanzanPrunus serrulata 'Kanzan' (Kwanzan)

The Kanzan cherry has double pink flowers and a vase-shaped form with a rounded crown that spreads with age, making the tree wider than it is tall at maturity .The new leaves are bronze colored, turning to dark green then yellow, orange or copper in fall. This is a fruitless cultivar. Kanzan cherry is grafted onto Prunus avium (mazzard) stock or grown from cuttings. Trees propagated on their own roots are preferable. Easily transplanted, it prefers a site with full sun and loose, well-drained soil with plenty of moisture. It is somewhat tolerant of alkaline soil and drought but is sensitive to pollution and stresses in general. For these reasons and because of its susceptibility to pests and disease, the life span is limited to 15–25 years. The great beauty of this tree makes it well worth planting for this short period of time.

Zones 5 - 9

Hardiness Zones: Zones 5 - 9
The Kanzan Cherry can be expected to grow in the zones shown in color in the arborday.org zone map. (see map below)

Flowering Tree

Type of tree:
The Kanzan Cherry falls into the following type(s): Flowering Trees, Ornamental Trees

Full Sun

Various Soils

vase Shape

Shape:This cherry has vase shape.

More Info

The Kanzan Cherry can be expected to grow in the zones shown on this map.

Attributes:Beautiful double pink blossoms, good fall color, lack of fruit, and an upright, vase-shaped form make the Kanzan cherry the most popular cultivar of all the double flowering cherries. It is a splendid specimen tree and can be planted in containers, along walks and streets and in buffer strips. It can also be used for bonsai.

Description:The Kanzan (Kwanzan) cherry has double pink flowers and a vase-shaped form with a rounded crown that spreads with age, making the tree wider than it is tall at maturity. The new leaves are bronze colored, turning to dark green then yellow, orange or copper in fall. This is a fruitless cultivar. Kwanzan cherry is grafted onto Prunus avium (mazzard) stock or grown from cuttings. Trees propagated on their own roots are preferable. Easily transplanted, it prefers a site with full sun, loose, well drained soil with plenty of moisture. It is somewhat tolerant of alkaline soil and drought but is sensitive to pollution and stresses in general. For these reasons and because of its susceptibility to pests and disease, the life span is limited from 15 to 25 years. The great beauty of this tree makes it well worth planting for this short period of time.

History/Lore/Use:Named after a mountain in Japan, the Kanzan cherry (Kwanzan) tree is native to China, Japan, and Korea. The original name is 'Sekiyama,' but it is rarely used. Introduced to America in 1903, it was made famous by the glorious floral displays at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. Primarily growing in East Potomac Park, the Kanzan cherry trees come into bloom two weeks later than the Yoshino cherry trees.